Entertainment Software Rating Board
ESRB
Type
Public company
Founded
1994[1] in Canada and United
States
Headquarters Canada, United States
Key people
Interactive Digital Software
Association (now the
Entertainment Software
Association)
Industry
Organization and rating
system
Parent
3DO Rating System (by The
3DO Company, now defunct)
Recreational Software
Advisory Council (now
defunct)
Videogame Rating Council (by
Sega of America, now defunct)
Website
http://www.esrb.org
The Entertainment
Software Rating
Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organiza-
tion that puts ratings into force, advertising
guidelines, and online privacy principles for
computer and video games and other enter-
tainment software in Canada and the United
States.[2]
The ESRB was established in 1994 by the
Entertainment
Software
Association
(formerly Interactive Digital Software Associ-
ation).[1] By early 2003, it had rated over
8,000 titles that had been submitted by 350
publishers.
One of the reasons the ESRB was founded
was due to violent content found in video
games such as Mortal Kombat and Doom, as
well as other controversial video games por-
traying overly violent or intense sexual situ-
ations at the time.
The ESRB applies ratings to games based
on their content, similar to the motion pic-
ture rating systems used in many countries.
Their aim is to aid consumers in determining
a game’s content and suitability. A game’s
rating is displayed on its box, the media, in
advertisements and on game web site(s).
The rating system is voluntary.
Ratings
Ratings used by ESRB.
The symbols the ESRB uses are stylized de-
pictions of alphabetical letters meant to con-
vey at a glance a game’s suitability. ESRB
uses 7 different ratings. They are:
• EC (Early Childhood)
• E (Everyone)
• E10+ (Everyone 10+)
• T (Teen)
• M (Mature)
• AO (Adults Only)
• RP (Rating Pending) Note: This symbol only
appears on a video game for advertisement
purposes prior to a game’s release.
• KA (Kids to Adults [no longer used])
Current
Original
The following rating has been up